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CAIRO— Egypt accused Iran on Thursday of “unacceptable interference” in its domestic affairs for having criticized the Egyptian army's removal of elected president Mohamed Morsi last week.

The incident signaled a return to cooler relations between the two Middle Eastern powers after an attempt at rapprochement under Morsi, who hails from the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.

Iran on Monday called the ousting of Morsi after mass protests against him a “cause for concern” and suggested that “foreign hands” were at work in the Arab state.

Egypt shot back on Thursday, expressing “extreme discontent” with the Islamic Republic's comments and saying they reflected a “lack of precise knowledge of the nature of the democratic developments Egypt is witnessing”.

“This represents unacceptable interference in Egypt's internal affairs,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page. Egypt made similar remarks to Turkey after its Islamist-rooted government criticized Morsi's ouster.

Western states have been cautious so far in characterizing the military overthrow of Morsi. Washington has specifically avoided referring to it as a “coup”, a word that would force it to halt aid including $1.3 billion per year for the army.

Relations between Egypt and Iran broke down after the 1979 Iranian revolution, when Egypt gave sanctuary to the deposed shah. Many Egyptians harbor strong feelings against Iran.

Morsi tried to improve ties after he was elected in 2012. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Cairo in February, the first visit by an Iranian leader in more than three decades.

But the two countries remained sharply divided on Syria. Shi'ite Muslim Iran is the main backer of President Bashar al-Assad while Morsi, often under pressure from hardline Sunni Muslim allies, backed Syria's largely Sunni rebels.

Egypt historically has much stronger ties to Gulf Arab states who have vied with Iran for regional influence. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provided Cairo's cash-strapped government $12 billion in aid this week.

Afghan officials and human rights organizations assert that Pakistani authorities are using deadly attack at school in Peshawar as pretext to push out Afghan refugees More

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by: JKF from: Ottawa, Canada

July 11, 2013 11:08 AM

It is ironic that the Iranian dictatorship is raising the spectre of foreign interferance in Egypt. In my view, if any one was intereferring in Egypt it is the Iranian dictatorshipt and its proxis Hamas/Hezbolah. The Iranian dictatorship has a clearly established record of interference and attempted interferrances in many countries/regions/territories: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan (Belochistan), India, Burma, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrein, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Gaza, Israel, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Central Africa, North Western Africa, Caucases, China, Kazakstan, Turkey, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina. the USA, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Spain, Malta, Cyprus,.......and the list goes on and on.

by: Davis K. Thanjan from: New York

July 11, 2013 10:27 AM

The relations between the Arab and Middle East countries are in a mesh of unreliable friendly countries, sectarian politics, sheikdoms, theocracy, split personalities, dictatorships, religious fanaticism, terrorism, tribalism, absence of equal opportunities to women and intolerance of other religious minorities The relationship between these countries are based on transient gains for the survival of the rulers. Hence other countries outside the area cannot decipher the policies of these countries to develop any kind of sincere friendly relations. Any interference in these countries is dangerous. It is better to leave these countries to solve their internal and external problem themselves, rather than any moral, military or economic assistance to any of these countries except trade relations.

by: Godwin from: Nigeria

July 11, 2013 8:46 AM

Was it like saying 'SHUT UP!" to Ahmadinejad? No it wasn't a face-to-face argument, otherwise I felt like I heard a thunderous slap on the face that sounded like shut up. Well, Ahmadinejad is about to shut in Iran come August, but will his master, the man in blue turban learn how to speak with respect when the wide-mouthed midget leaves office soon? I think Iran wants friends, but it keeps getting it wrong how to keep them. Did he deceive Morsi earlier? Now he's about to lose again and his only true ally soon is going to remain Nassrallah - a terrorist!. That is when Assad has surely gone.

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